Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 1 bearʓ, bearh, berʓ, 3 baru, 4 bareȝ, 5 barowe, 6 barrowe, 6– barrow. [Common Teut.: OE. bearʓ (:—barg) = Fris. baerg, MDu. barch, Du. barg, OHG. barug, barh, MHG. barc (barg-es), Ger. barch, ON. börgr:—OTeut. *bargu-z or bargwo-z; not known beyond Teutonic.]
1. A castrated boar; a swine. Still dial.
a. 1000. Riddles (Grein), xli. 106. Fættra þonne amæsted swin, bearʓ bellende on bóc-wuda.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. vii. 6. Ne sendas ʓe mere-grotta iurre before berʓ [Rushw. swinum].
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 408. He wile of bore wurchen bareȝ [v.r. bareh].
1297. R. Glouc., 207. [He] hadde an vatte baru ynome.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVIII. lxxxvii. (1495), 836. Amonge the tame swyne the males be callyd boores and barowes.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb. (1586), 122 b. Take … of Barrowes grease very olde two poundes.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Mange, Anoint them with stale Barrows-Lard.
1741. Compl. Fam.-Piece, III. 498. Better to keep all Boars and Sows, and no Barrows.
1864. Capern, Devon Provinc., Barrow, a castrated boar.
b. In later times commonly barrow-hog, -pig.
1547. Recorde, Judic. Ur., 61 b. Tame barrow-hogs.
1599. A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physic, 252/2. Take the greace of a little redde Barrowe Pigge.
1693. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 732. A barrow-hog, porcus castratus.
Mod. Kent. Dial., I bought two open sows and one barrow pig. [In most of the dialect glossaries.]
† 2. A badger. Obs. rare. (? mispr. for bauson).
1552. Huloet, Badger, barrow, brocke, or graye beaste.
3. Comb., barrow-flick, the fatty membrane covering the kidneys of a hog; barrow-guttlings, pig’s chitterlings; intestines, bowels.
1575. Turberv., Falconrie, 363. An unguent made of Barrowe flicke.
1611. L. Barry, Ram Alley, IV. in Dodsl., O. P. (1780), V. 484. My barrow-guttlings grumble And would have food.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Mange, Take a Pound of Barrow-flick.
